Savoyard Cruche – French Style Treat

Savoyard Cruche is a French treat that may have started off as a poor man’s sweet or candy. It is very simple to make and only has 3 ingredients. A cruche is a jug. It seems, from what I have read, that this simple concoction may have been used to spread on some bread. But cooked for longer it can also be allowed to set and then cut or broken into small piece.

These days it is also enjoyed, in small pieces, with a cup of coffee.

I saw several recipes, all of which seemed to be the same. I used one that was detailed in Delicious Magazine.

Using just butter, flour and sugar, the texture of Savoyard Cruche is a sort of cross between a biscuit and fudge.

The process to make it is very simple. The butter is melted and then the flour is mixed in. That is then cooked over a low heat until the mixture has turned into a brown roux, having been cooked for about 10 minutes. Then the sugar is added too and cooked again for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture is quite homogenous and a nice brown colour. How dark it is can be varied by how long it is cooked for. The important thing is to make sure it is cooked on a low heat so that there is no burning.

The mixture is then spread, evenly, into a parchment lined tray, about 12 x 8 inches(30 x 20 cm) and it is left to set firm. It can then be cut into small pieces, or broken up. Just a word of warning, though, it is very brittle so a sharp knife should be used to make decisive cuts if slicing.

My Savoyard Cruche

My Savoyard Cruche turned out very well. But I think maybe I had the heat just a little too high. So the mixture cooked slightly unevenly. But I am sure on a slightly lower heat, and with a little more patience, it would have been perfect.

As it was, though, it was very good indeed. It set well and was easy to cut, though brittle. Indeed it could easily just be broken into small pieces to serve with coffee.

I enjoyed it immensely. But I had to be careful not to eat too much.

It keeps well in an airtight container too.

Another easy recipe is Fruity Oat Cookies – Quick & Easy.

Savoyard Cruche – French Style Treat

Recipe by geoffcooCourse: Biscuits, Cookies, Stove top recipesCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

36

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 250g(2 sticks + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter

• 250g(1 2/3 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour

• 125g(1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar

Directions

• Place the butter into a pan.
• Put the pan over a low heat until the butter is melted.
• Add the flour, a little at a time, stirring constantly, still with the low heat.
• Cook the flour into the butter until it has turned into a brown roux, which will take about 10 minutes.
• Add the sugar and cook for a further 5 to 8 minutes, until the mixture is a caramel colour of the hue you wish. The mixture should be crumbly but not dry.
• Place the mixture into a parchment lined pan that is 12 x 8 inches(30 x 20 cm) and spread it evenly over the base.
• Set the pan aside to cool completely and to set. You can chill it in the fridge too, if you wish.
• Cut into pieces of the size you wish. Smaller is better, using a sharp knife and with quick cuts. Or you can just break it into small pieces.